GOLD BEACH, Ore. – The mayor of Gold Beach is facing sharp criticism after a controversial email was leaked to the public.
Gold Beach Mayor Karl Popoff resigned from the board of the Oregon Coast Community Action after he wrote an email to an organization member saying “you can shove your racism bandwagon” and “Black lives don’t matter to Black Lives Matter people.” OCCA runs services to people in poverty along the Southern Oregon Coast.
You can view a screenshot of the email via The Oregonian/OregonLive here: https://bit.ly/31aUXEn
Popoff’s email was a reply to a Black Lives Matter statement published on OCCA’s website. Once the reply leaked, it caught the eye of the Gold Beach City Council, who decided to publicly address the issue.
On June 16, the council voted 3-2 to censure Mayor Popoff, citing his violation of city rules and policies regarding non-discriminatory speech and conduct. He’ll remain mayor, but he won’t be able to participate in any future committees, boards or associations for the remaining five months of his term.
The city council said in a statement, “The opinions expressed in Mayor Popoff’s email do not reflect the opinions of the City Council as a whole. The City of Gold Beach is dedicated to enhancing quality of life, while promoting health, safety and welfare of our citizens, businesses and visitors in the most fiscally responsible manner. In doing this, the City will respect the past, respond to current concerns and plan for the future, while maintaining environmental sensitivity in our beach-oriented community. The City remains committed to its policies prohibiting discrimination of all kinds.”
Popoff tells NBC5 News he regretted sending the email while angry and apologized for the way it reflected on his city.
However, he stood by the content of the email.
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